Chapter 83
[Rex’s POV]
I waited in the lounge room with Paris tied up and unconscious in the kitchen area. She was still in her transformed state, which admittedly worried me somewhat. I had only allowed Tiara to indulge in her brutality so that Paris would be more mentally pliable when I started pressing her for answers later. But if she had been lost to her wild nature, then it was no exaggeration to say she was currently no different from a monster.
While Isolde was seeing to Rose and Fleur, I had briefly checked outside to get a feel for the state of battle. From what I could tell, though, it looked like we had reached a conclusion at last. With my fusion dismissed, I returned with Tiara tucked into my arm, her form returned to its previous smaller state.
It may have been prudent to report right back to my superiors and hand over Paris, but there were some things I had to get squared away in my mind first.
Most importantly: Fleur.
“What were you doing back here? I thought you left already.”
I asked directly while she was lying on her back. Isolde was in the middle of purifying her blood and removing all traces of the paralytic poison that affected her.
“I never made it back to the commune. After entering the forest, I felt a wave of nausea, and by the time I realised I had been poisoned, someone hit me from behind.”
She looked over to Paris.
“I don’t know if she was the one to ambush me, but she is certainly the one who delivered the poison.”
“It looks like the entry point for the poison was right here.”
Isolde lifted Fleur’s hand and pointed to one of her slender fingers.
“Any ideas how that happened? Maybe a cut or a splinter?”
She asked Fleur.
“...Ah.”
Fleur considered it, then realisation struck her.
“Back in the greenhouse. That accident must have been planned.”
“I was thinking the same. She probably coated the thorns of the red thistle plant with poison and timed the explosion as you were walking past.”
I nodded along with her words.
At that time, we had thought Paris was elsewhere, but likely she was cloaked and watching the entire time. All she had to do was trail Fleur, wait for the poison to take hold, then strike.
It wasn’t a terribly complicated plan, but it was certainly effective. If not for Rose and Tiara being in the right place at the right time, both Paris and Fleur would have vanished with none of us being the wiser.
“You don’t know what she wanted with you?”
I asked.
“Bro, what’s with the questions?”
Rose groaned as she nursed her shoulder. The wound had been mended, but the throbbing pain remained.
“I need to understand everything if I’m going to make an informed decision.”
Fleur locked eyes with me.
“Decision? Is there something you suspect me of?”
I thought she was being evasive at first, but her tone suggested honest ignorance.
“You haven’t seen what’s going on out there?”
I raised an eyebrow, then looked to Rose.
Our expressions conveyed all we needed. Rose had not told her anything about the elves’ attack.
“Fleur, the Leafwhisper Commune attacked the academy… your brother led the attack.”
She bolted upright, but the hurried movement caused her head to spin, and she promptly fell back with a grimace.
“That’s not…”
She began to protest, but bit her lip and furrowed her brows before finishing.
“What is it? Did you know something?”
“Rex, let her breathe…”
Rose admonished me, but I had no intention of backing down. Luckily, Fleur was the sensible sort.
“No. I did not know about this. But… this would explain why he pushed so hard for me to return home... and no, I don't know why Paris attacked me.”
“How long ago did your brother first ask you to leave the academy?”
“Two weeks ago.”
“Really? Considering the travel time, they certainly didn't waste any time.”
I commented more to myself than anything, then I removed my mask and stared into it while I considered what this would all mean.
Soleo’s movements suggested more organisation than the elves, but that could be attributed to the small numbers they committed to the attack. The odds of both sides acting independently were too low to seriously entertain, meaning they would have had approximately two weeks to coordinate their attack.
But from the information I had been stumbling across, this seemed to be in the works for longer than that. If we take the two-week timeframe, then their tactics made sense due to an inability to organise larger numbers without alerting the empire.
On the other hand, if the issue regarding the letters between Borderton and Farrowgate was related, then we were looking at a timeframe of at least two months. If that was the case, and Soleo was harbouring ill intent for so long, why not take a more effective approach?
They could have hidden soldiers in the Verdant Divide over time, crossed to the western side of Borderton with small squads to avoid raising suspicion, and then formed a blockade from either side.
It may not have solved the ultimate issue of defeating Emperor Albrecht, but it would have offered a greater level of control.
“Rex.”
Fleur’s voice called me back to the present.
“That mask… is my brother alive?”
I had almost forgotten. It was only natural for her to recognise the object in my hand.
“He is.”
I paused to consider how to phrase my following words. In the end, though, I respected Fleur enough to be direct.
“He is seriously wounded, but will survive. He is an Imperial prisoner now, though.”
“Who defeated him?”
“Axel and I.”
Her empty stare felt like it was boring a hole through my skull as we remained silent. Only the faint humming of Isolde’s magic could be heard as even Rose held her breath.
“I see.”
Fleur finally broke eye contact and turned to face the ceiling.
“And what do you plan to do with me?”
“I don’t think you had anything to do with this attack. I’ll vouch for you if necessary, but life for you is likely going to be difficult for a while.”
“Was it that bad?”
She asked, still not facing me.
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“Many innocents were killed, Fleur.”
I did not sugarcoat anything. Then, Rose spoke up hesitantly.
“I, uh, saw the guy wearing that earlier.”
She nodded to my mask.
“He killed a civilian. Cut him right down the middle…”
She attempted to remain composed, but I saw the way she held her own arms tightly.
“Brother…”
Fleur closed her eyes briefly.
“Our kind will not be welcome here. Perhaps it is best I leave.”
“I can’t let that happen.”
I firmly denied her suggestion. Should her brother commit suicide in custody, we would have no deterrents left to stop the elves from harassing us again. We needed to prevent any further altercations at least until we could figure out what was going on.
For the greater good, I would keep her imprisoned myself if need be.
“Fleur, if you ran back to your commune, you would be incriminating yourself. If I were to be part of the subjugation force sent to eliminate them, I would have no choice but to kill you personally. I do not want that to happen if we can avoid it.”
I leaned forward, speaking firmly to get my point across.
“I believe we can clear you of any suspicion if you remain and cooperate with the empire. You will naturally face prejudice from those who want to lump you together with your brother, but you are still a citizen here. We can at least seek protection from any retaliation.”
I hesitated before continuing. The main reason I was so eager to keep her from leaving may be perceived as too manipulative for this crowd.
But how could an honest friendship ever blossom if I continued to keep things so close to my chest?
“The Kronenvolk will need a positive example among the elves if we are to ever rebuild trust between our people. There is still a chance for relations to go back to how they were.”
I waited for Fleur's response.
“So it is either stay and work with those who harmed my family in the hopes they will be spared, or resist and die?”
She showed a wry smile and snorted.
“I am ashamed of myself. I did not see how calculating you truly were, Rex.”
The healing seemed to have been completed, as Fleur sat upright without issue.
“But you are correct. If there is to be any hope of righting the wrongs of my tribe, it will be lost should no attempt of reconciliation be made.”
Her face returned to its usual imperceptible mask of neutrality, though her eyes lingered on the object in my hand.
I held out her brother’s mask.
“Here. It seems important to you.”
“It is a family heirloom.”
She reached out but stopped just before her fingers could graze the cool material.
“I must understand the whole story before reclaiming this. My brother’s actions may have offended the ancestors, in which case this mask has been stained, and lost its former glory. Keep it for now.”
I didn’t quite agree with the idea that a person’s crimes should tarnish the history of an heirloom by association, but since I quite liked the design anyway, I was happy to accept her terms.
I put it back over my face and stood up.
“Are we all ready then?”
Isolde gave a thumbs up to signal that all wounds had been sufficiently seen to.
“Good. We should report in.”
Rose still looked shaken up from all that had transpired, but with my steady hand on her shoulder, she found the resolve to follow along.
As we left, I stepped on a familiar-looking tie.
“Ah, this was Guy’s, wasn’t it?”
I bent down to retrieve it, and the thoughts of my classmates surfaced.
Bridgit had tried to kill me and was now in custody. Being the princess of a nation that had just declared war, there was no chance we would be letting her slip through our fingers or trusting her to cooperate.
Guy was a Solean as well, and I only briefly recalled his presence within the academy while my body was under the control of the beast. How would he take everything that happened? How would he react if he found out it was me who suggested preventing Solean students from leaving Borderton?
Oliver had some kind of overly dramatic reaction to Axel and me doing our jobs, and nearly ratted us out. Many soldiers witnessed the event too, and could justifiably issue the death penalty for such actions. Even if he is shown leniency, I no longer had any desire to maintain a relationship with him.
Meztili had not taken any action when the school came under attack. I was thankful, as she may not have survived releasing her restraints again so soon after the last time. But was that her reason? Or was there some other factor that held her back?
Finally, there was Lily—or whatever her real name was.
Her true nature had been revealed. In more ways than one. Would the empire publicly consort with devils despite the damage that would do to international relations? Should I continue to associate with her now that the cat was out of the bag? I still had the command seal to work with, but knowing that she was still able to report everything back to Merk meant I may have issues in the future.
It was messy. These were relationships that were all unlikely to remain unchanged by the end of the day.
I tucked Guy’s tie into my pocket, realising I was also still wearing the clothes I stole from his room, and I walked out the door.
***
When we joined up with the rest of the IMA members in the building, we found soldiers running this way and that as they carried the dead away and assessed damages. I caught sight of Emperor Albrecht immediately, and he nodded at me in acknowledgement, but was too busy listening to the others for me to approach.
Not that someone of my station really should be casually approaching the Emperor. The proper action to take would be to report to my direct superior, who, under these circumstances, would be either Lisa Stern or Benedikt Kuhn.
Seeing as Headmaster Stern was unaccounted for, I set about finding Professor Kuhn. It was not difficult, given that he was being swarmed by concerned students asking for guidance. The IMA had no vice-principal, so as the most senior and most respected member of staff, everybody had defaulted to looking to him for leadership.
“Wasn’t he injured?”
I asked Isolde.
“Yes, he attempted to send out a drone for something, but the elven leader cut it down and ordered a beating to set an example. It worked.”
Fleur clenched her teeth but remained silent. Her eyes had been rapidly scanning the area in search of something since we left the dorms, however.
There was no need to ask what she was looking for, but her brother would no doubt have already been restrained and isolated elsewhere as a matter of priority. She would not find him within the campus grounds.
“Luckily, the wounds weren’t too severe. Mostly bruising and minor scrapes. Healing him didn’t take long after Axel removed my bindings.”
Seeing as Professor Kuhn remained occupied, I took to investigating the item that Isolde referred to. The metal object was still lying broken near the entrance.
“This thing smothered your holy magic? I know mana and aura can be suppressed, but was there a way to block out the gods’ blessings?”
I asked as I turned the object around in my hands. But it was not Isolde who responded; rather, it was Rose.
“That’s Abjurit. It’s a highly sought-after metal that few smiths can forge… do you think anyone would care if we took it? I could line up a buyer who would love to get their hands on it.”
I ignored her request and tucked the broken restraint into my jacket.
A way to cancel divinity was of great interest to me. Hopefully, this sample could offer a hint on how to produce more.
“You’re keeping it?”
Isolde tilted her head.
“Nobody else is claiming it; I may as well find a use myself. Anyway, how did Gaspard get his hands on it if it’s so rare?”
I changed the subject and turned to Fleur.
“I do not know. I have never known my tribe to have access to such material.”
“Another question to be answered then.”
I spoke as I raised my hand to catch Professor Kuhn’s attention.
“Rex, are you well?”
He walked down from the central staircase and looked me up and down skeptically. His eye flashed with the spinning azure runes that always accompanied his use of .
“Well, you appear to be back in your own skin at least.”
His rigid posture relaxed a little.
“I assume you are here to ask what's going on? The reality being what it is, I’m afraid you currently have a better grasp on the overall situation than I do.”
Professor Kuhn was a man who always appeared composed, but he was standing before me with a barely contained grimace and a furrowed brow.
“There is to be a meeting between the higher-ups in my office come nightfall. We will try to sort out what we know and make a general announcement tomorrow…”
He paused as he considered me carefully.
“It may be best for you and Axel to come along now that I think about it. You two did defeat the enemy leader after all.”
“Sir—”
“Professor is fine.”
“Professor, wouldn’t it be better if I just report to you what I know?”
Looking at it objectively, having a mere student sitting in with the Emperor and a bunch of accomplished subjects could be seen as an insult to the others. I wanted to rack up achievements and secure influence, but angering my superiors would only hurt me in the long run. It would be better to receive a commendation and back away quietly.
“That would be the proper protocol, yes. However, there is significance in having you two there in person.”
He leaned forward and lowered his voice.
“The younger generation needs people to look up to within their group. Just knowing two fellow students were influential enough to earn the Emperor’s ear will do wonders for morale going forward.”
I nodded.
“Understood. Should I fetch Axel?”
“No, he has already regained consciousness and is resting up. I will collect him when the time comes.”
With our conversation over with, a panicking first year butted in to pester the Professor with requests for reassurance. Seeing no reason to be dragged in, I walked away and spoke to the others.
“Looks like I'm being used as a figurehead.”
I chuckled.
“I know I do not have the right to make demands, but please ask about my brother’s condition.”
Fleur bowed her head to me.
“I'll see what I can do. But I can't promise anything. I may end up standing silently on the corner.”
“It sounds like you'll have your hands full. I should see where I'm needed; there would surely be more injuries in need of care.”
Isolde took her leave of us and hurried out the door.
“Just how much juice does she have left in the tank to be casting so many divine spells?”
I muttered.
“Well, she being eyed by the church of Faelora to serve as their next Saint. I wouldn’t be surprised if she claimed to hear Faelora’s voice in her dreams.”
Rose responded as we all watched Isolde leave.
“Look, I should go too… I’m worried about my friends.”
Rose waved at a girl standing on the opposite end of the crowd.
“Tell me how it all goes, kay?”
She gave me a quick hug and hurried off, leaving me alone with Fleur.
There was no silence to be had with the state of panic among the students, some of whom were in hysterics after being unable to find a friend or loved one.
But even so, there was a certain level of uncomfortable hesitance in the people immediately surrounding us. I traced their line of sight back to the only elf in the student body.
“...It’s quite different from how they used to behave, isn’t it?”
I addressed Fleur.
“I do not care how they look at me. Whether it be awe, love, trepidation, or hatred.”
She looked at me, but immediately broke eye contact and looked down at my feet instead.
She still carried herself with the pride and poise of an elf, but it seemed to falter any time her attention was drawn to me.
“Is it hard? Being around me, I mean.”
I decided to address the elephant in the room.
“Yes. I understand your position, but the heart does not operate on logic.”
She responded with a similar level of blunt realism.
“Do you hate me?”
“I am not sure.”
“Would you be more comfortable on your own?”
“...No. Stay.”
It was difficult to understand the emotions of someone who could not understand themselves. And in all honesty, I felt wildly awkward standing alone with her. But if she wanted me to stay with her, I would do as she asked.
And so we remained. She avoided eye contact with any of the angry glares directed at her, and I continued to look for a familiar face to call over in the hopes that it would alleviate some of the tension.
But I had no such luck.
And so we stood isolated, watching the chaotic swirl of emotions among the crowd while we remained quiet.
